VCRs

DVRs, Cable Boxes Waste $2B in Energy Costs

Digital video recorders (DVRs), cable and other pay-TV boxes waste $2 billion dollars of electricity a year because they are not capable of powering down when not in use, according to a new study released by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).

With more than 80 percent of U.S. homes subscribing to some form of pay-television service, there are approximately 160 million DVRs and cable boxes – also called set-top boxes – nationwide, the NRDC says.

The NRDC’s report, Reducing the National Energy Consumption of Set-Top Boxes, finds that because these devices run on full power even when the consumer is neither … read more